Drug and Alcohol Policy Development

Drug and alcohol related problems have been found to be major contributors to workplace injuries and decreases in productivity in recent years. As a business owner or manager, you have a duty to provide a safe working environment for your employees and the general public at large.

Having a clear and comprehensive drug and alcohol policy in place has several critical benefits:

• A drug and alcohol policy with clear guidelines is instrumental in creating an environment that is drug-safe for all employees.
• A well written drug and alcohol policy can protect your company from expensive litigation. This includes protection against public liability and unfair dismissal claims.
• It literally can save lives.

What is a workplace drug and alcohol policy?

A drug policy is a document that outlines the objectives, limits, strategies and consequences of your workplace-based program for the prevention and control of drug and alcohol abuse. It affects every single person in your organisation, from the business owner down to the newest recruit.

How to begin drug policy development

To help you begin the drug policy development, we will work hand in hand with your team to gather information and identify the unique context in which your business operates.

We will collect input from many people throughout your organisation. This includes management, unions, workers, supervisors and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) teams.

It is also crucial to first assess the presence and impact of drug and alcohol use in your workplace. This will enable us to formulate a drug policy that is customised to your needs and business culture.

What does a drug and alcohol policy cover?

The most important component of a drug policy is the definition of what is and what is not acceptable behaviour and practice regarding alcohol and drug use. It should clearly state if you are going to implement limits or a zero-tolerance policy for any and all use of illegal substances in the workplace.

It can also dictate that no employee should arrive to work under the influence of alcohol and drugs. In addition you can define acceptable and unacceptable behaviours during a workplace function that may have alcohol present.

A good drug policy must also lay out the consequences of said actions and behaviours in clear, digestible language.

Developing the right drug and alcohol policy for your company

We will help you determine what the consequences will be depending on the nature of your business and the environment you want to foster.

Some businesses have zero-tolerance to alcohol and drug use, and will therefore resort to termination of the drug-using employee. Some aim for rehabilitation of the offending employee. Finally many organisations use a combination of rehabilitation and penalties depending on the individual situation.

Whichever approach you choose, we will guide you through the process using our extensive multi-industry expertise. Together we will create a fair, well-considered drug and alcohol policy that precisely meets your requirements.